Caribbean & Central America - December 2018

GUATEMALA: A crowded race for Guatemala’s 2019 elections

The contenders in Guatemala’s electoral race will include a mix of seasoned politicians, such as former congresswoman Zury Ríos (1996-2012), the daughter of former dictator Efraín Ríos Montt (1982-1983), and the former director of the prison service, Alejandro Giammattei, as well as newly created parties, such as the centre-left Movimiento Semilla and the peasant-led Movimiento para la Liberación de los Pueblos (MLP). With 27 parties vying for the 2019 June general election, the Guatemalan party system is becoming highly fragmented.